Deadline passes for former defence land

The Federal Government says it will be a slow process deciding who will get former defence land at Point Nepean on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula.

The deadline has now passed for expressions of interest in the site.

The 90 hectares of land at Point Nepean is rich with Aboriginal heritage, historic buildings, and natural beauty.

The Commonwealth is selling it at market value, after giving 205 hectares to the state of Victoria.

Expressions of Interest closed at 2.00pm AEST today and the state Government made a submission, but did not offer any money to buy the land, instead offering millions to maintain it.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, Fran Bailey, says price is not the determining factor in who gets the land, but it will be considered.

"Obviously there is going to have to be some revenue generated from the successful proposal because those historic buildings take a considerable amount of money to maintain them and to run them and we want to ensure that they're safeguarded for the future," she said.

The Australian Heritage Commission will look at all proposals to ensure they meet strict planning guidelines.